Method and apparatus for emulsification



c. E. NORCRUSS.

memon AND APPARATUS For; EMULSIFICATION. APPLICATION FILED MAR-rl9 1920.

$3 2,131, 3 Patented M14, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET i- I J i:

INVENTOR.

. 41 ATTORNEY.

C. E. NORCROSS. METHOD AND APPARATUS-FOR EMULSIFICATION.

APPHCATION FILED MAR. 19, I920.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

INVENTOR M 2. M 39 ATTORNEY.

' UNITED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

COLLEN E. NORCROSS, OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR. EMULSIFICATION.

T 0 allwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, COLLEN EpNononoss, a citizen of the United States, residing in West Chester, county of Chester, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Method of and Apparatus for Emulsification, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a method of and apparatus for bringing materials into sus pension in a liquid or for emulsification.

My invention resides in a method and apparatus of the character referred to, wherein 'a bowl structure is employed, rotatable at high speed to impart to a liquid and material to be emulsified therewith or brought into suspension therein great centrifugal force under the influence of whichthe mixture is caused to pass in a jet or sheet over the edge of the bowl.

My invention resides further in a method and apparatus of the character referred to wherein the liquid and material to be emulsified is caused to pass at high speed under the influence of centrifugal force in a thin film or jet over the edge of the bowl structure and impinge against a wall.

My invention resides further in bowl structure comprising portions of difierent diameter wherein material delivered to the portionof less diameter is agitated and caused to rotate at high speed and is delivered over the edge thereof to the portion of greater diameter.

My invention resides further in bowl structure of the character referred to in combination with a surrounding wall, whereby the outerwall of said bowl structure is free of contact with the liquid and material to be emulsified.

My invention resides further in bowl structure provided with a cover.

My invention resides further in a method and apparatus of the character referred to, wherein suspension or emulsification takes place and is completed within the receptacle in which the apparatus operates.

My invention resides in further features of structure and method hereinafter described.

For an illustration of some of the various forms my apparatus may take, and for. an understanding of my method, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawing, in Which:

Figure'l is a vertical sectional view, some Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

Application filed March 19, 1920. Serial No. 367,088.

parts in elevation, of apparatus embodying view illustrating a further modification of bowl structure.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view illustrating a further modification of bowl structure.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, some parts in elevation, of a modified form of apparatus designed for continuous operation.

Fig. 9 is a vertical sectional view illustrating a further modification of bowl structure designed for continuous operation.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, 1 is a vessel, as of sheet metal, provided with a cover 2 supporting frame 3 carrying bearings 4, 5 and 6. Shaft 7 is mounted in bearings 41 and 5 and carries bevel gear 8, meshing with bevel gear 9, carried on shaft 10, mounted to be rotated in bearing 6 by means of crank 11 or other suitable means, whereby shaft 7 is rotated at high speed. Secured to or integral with shaft 7 is the tubular bowl member 12 which may have one or more longitudinaly extending vanes 13. Bowl member 12 has an admission opening or port 14 at its lower end, preferably of four, radial vanes 19 extending from the wall of bowl member 12 to the wall 16 of bowl member 16. The vanes increase in height toward the wall 16*, as shown. In the Wall of bowl member 12 immediately above the bottom wall 17 and'within, bowl member 16 is a suitable number of orifices, ports or horizontal slots 20.

Within vessel 1 and surrounding bowl member 12. is a tubular casing 21 supported upon legs 22 resting upon and preferably fixedly secured to the bottom of vessel 1 at or near its center. Casing 21 is open at the top and has bottom wall 23, in which is an opening 24, communicating with an upwardly extending jet pipe or tube 25. Tube 25 extends into bowl member 12 through port 14,the vane 13 being cut away to 'receive the end of the tube.

The operation is as follows:

The vessel 1 is filled with the crude mixture of materials to be emulsified or bro ght into suspension to a level betweenthe top of tube 25 and the top of casing 21, flowing between legs 22 and through tube 25 and filling the casing 21 to the level of material outside of the casing. The cover'2, carrying the bowl members 12 and 16 and the driving mechanism above described, is then put in place on vessel 1, whereupon the material in vessel 1 and casing 21 flows throughopening 14 into bowl member 12. Bowl members 12 and 16 are rapidly rotated. The material within bowl 12 is caused to partake of' similar speed of rotation by the vane or vanes 13, and, due to centrifugal force, forms a vortex and eventually a layer on the wall of bowl 12 of the thickness of dam .or ledge 15, the excess of material in bowl 12 passing upward and through slots or orifices 20 into bowl 16 and outward in a thin layer along bottom 17 to wall 16, where it spreads out in a thin layer, passing upward and over the edge of wall 16 At the same time material in casing 21 flows through opening 14 into bowl 12, and material in vessel '1 flows between legs 22 through pipe 24 into bowl 12. In operation, therefore, casing 21 is empty down to the level of dam 15, and material continuously flows from vessel 1 through pipe 24 into bowl 12, thence to bowl 16 and over the edge of wall 16?, striking the wall of vessel 1 and collecting in vessel 1, from which it again passes through the rotating bowl members. The continuous circulation of the material, as described, thoroughly agitates and mixesit, and further agitation and mixing is produced in bowl 12 by vane 13. Preliminary emu'lsification is produced by this mixing action The principal emulsification effect is produced by the passage of the material in a very thin layer over the edge of orifices or slits 20 and radially along the bottom 17 of bowl 1 6, striking wall 16 and further passing in a thin layer or film up the wall 16 and over the edge of wall 16 and striking the wall of vessel 1. While emulsifying action takes place throughout the above steps, wherein the ma-.

terial is agitatedand mixed, subjected to centrifugal force, spread into fine streams or jets, and impacted against walls, the most the material circulates through the emulsifying structure automatically, while the outside walls of the emulsifying structure are free of contact with the mass of material under treatment. Thus the formation of a vortex in the mass of material in the containing vessel and friction between the material and the rapidly rotating structure are avoided.

The bowl 16 may be provided with a cover 26 and a side wall 16 provided with orifices or slots 27, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In this form of bowl the action. is substantially the same as that described in connection with Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, the material passing in the form of a thin film or jet over the lower edge of orifices 27 insteadof over On the shaft 7 is a sleeve 28, carrying at its lower end a flange 29 of the same diameter as bowl 16 and forming a cover therefor. On the upper end of sleeve 28 is a flange 30. On shaft 7, and slidable thereon above flange 30, is sleeve 31, provided with a screw threaded radial opening 32, in which and adapted to engage shaft 7 is a set screw 33.

Between collar 31'and flange 30 and surrounding shaft 7 is the coiled spring 34.

In operation, collar 31 is adjustcd on spring 34 to. hold flange 29 down on top of bowl 16L Flange 29 serves as a cover for bowl '16 to. prevent material from shooting .out the top in starting the apparatus, the same as cover 26 on bowl 16 in Figs. 4 and'5.

After the apparatus is started, material flows upwardly. along wall 16*, raising flange 29 slightly against the tension of spring 31, and passes over the edge-of'wall 16 through the narrow slit between wall 16 and flange 29 in the form of a thin sheet or et.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, the lower end of bowl 12 is unsupported, rotating freely between casing 21 and tube 24.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, the bottom 23 of casing 21 is provided with a cylindrical recess 35 receiving the lower end of bowl 12 and forming abearing or guide therefor. By this construction oscillation I ing a channel or vibration of bowl 12, due to unevenness in distribution of the weight of the bowl or material therein, is avoided, and the bowl 12 and shaft 7 are held in alinement with bearings 4 and 5. This isparticularly advantageous when the apparatus is not setting in a vertical position. In this construction, the bowl 12 may fit in recess 35 sufficiently loosely to allow material to flow from casing 21 through opening 14 into bowl 12 when the apparatus is started as described above; or one or more openings 36 may be provided in the bottom 23 connecting casing 21 with o ening 14 to allow material to flow from casing 21 to bowl 12. In this case the socket 35 may closely fit bowl 12 and form a bearing therefor.

The apparatus thus far described, particularly apparatus comprising a bowl structure 12 and casing 21, are designed for batch operation, that is, operation in which material to be treated is placed in a vessel and continuously circulated through the emulsifying structure until the desired emulsification is provided.

In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown modified arrangements designed for continuous operation. It will of course be understood that all the forms of bowl 16 shown in Figs. 1-6 are capable of use in the combination illustrated in Fig. 8.

The apparatus illustrated in Fig. 8 comprises frame 3, carrying bearings 4, 5 and 6, for shafts 7 and 10, and bevel gears 8 and 9, for rotating bowls 12 and 16, as in Fig. 1. The bowl 12 has bottom opening 14, ledge 15, vane 16, and openings 20 the same as bowl 12 of Fig. 1. In the structure illustrated in Fig. 8 the vessel 1, cover 2, casing 21, bottom 23, legs 22 and tube 25 are omitted. The frame 3 is carried by a suitable stand or legs 37. Carried by stand 37 and surrounding bowl 16 is a receptacle 38 having a cover 39. The bottom of receptacle 38 slopes outwardly and downwardly, form- 40 connecting with a drain spout 41. Material to be emulsified is delivered from vessel 42 through pipe 43 in a jet into the bottom of bowl 12, where, under the influence of vane 13, it is given a rotary motion and thrown against the wall of bowl 12, flowing upwardly to bowl 16 and over the edge of wall 16*, impinging against the wall of receptacle 38, and collecting therein and flowing through spout 41 as a final product; or it may be returned to vessel 42 and again passed through the apparatus. This form of apparatus is best adapted to the treatment of materials which are not difiicult to emulsify and need be passed through the apparatus but once.

Bowl 12 serves to receive material from tube 25, in the form of apparatus shown in Fi 1, and from pipe 43 in the form shown in ig. 8 and carry it to bowl 16. Bowl 12 may, however, be omitted and material to be emulsified delivered directly into bowl 16, as illustrated in Fig. 9.

Referring to Fig. 9, bowl 16 has side wall 16*, bottom wall 17 and vanes 19. WVithin bowl 16 is the tubular member 43 corresponding with the upper end of the bowl 12 in Fig. 1. Tubular member 43 is secured to the bottom wall 17 and the inner ends of vanes 19. The shaft 7 is secured in the upper end of tubular member 43. Between the end of shaft 7' and the bottom 17 in the tubular member 43 are orifices The bottom 17 extends inwardly beyond the wall of tubular member 43, forming a ledge 45, surrounding the port 46. A jet pipe 47 or other suitable means delivers material to be emulsified through the port 46 on to ledge 45. The structure just described, Fig. 9, may be mounted in any suitable apparatus; for example, it may take the place of bowls 12 and 16 of Fig. 8, in which case jet pipe 47 is joined to pipe 43 and delivers material from vessel 42 on to ledge 45. In operation, the material to be emulsified is delivered by jet pipe 47 on to ledge 45 while the bowl 16 is rapidly rotating. The material is picked up by vanes 19 and caused to rotate with bowl 16 and spreads out into the form of a thin film on bottom 17, passing through orifices 44 to wall 16, upwardly and over the edge thereof and impinging upon the wall of the surrounding receptacle.

A bowl having a cover and orifices in its side wall, as shown in Fig. 4, or a bowl provided with a yielding cover, as shown in Fig. 6, may also be modified as illustrated in Fig. 9 by omitting the bowl 12.

lVhat I claim is:

1. The method of bringing materials into suspension or emulsion, which consists in subjecting a mixture of said materials to rotation at high speed, spreading said mixture of materials under the resultant centrifugal force in a thin film on a rapidly moving surface, dispersing said film from the limits of said surface, and recombining said materials to form a substantially stationary body.

2. The method of bringing materials into suspension or emulsion, which consists in spreading said materials in the presence of each other into a film on a rapidly moving surface, passing said film freely over the edge of said surface, and collecting said materials into a substantially stationary body,

3. The method of bringing materials into suspension or emulsion, which consists in subjecting said materials in the presence of each other to rotation at high speed, spreading said materials by the resultant centrifugal force into a thin film upon a confining wall, passing said film freely over the edge. of said wall, and collecting said materials into a body.

said materials under the resultant centrifugalforce over a rotating surface, flowing said materials over the edge of said surface 7 and impacting said materials against a wall,

spreading said materials into a thin film on said wall, dispersing said film over the edge. of said wall, and collect ng said materials.

5. The method of bringing materials into suspension or emulsion, which consists in subjecting said materials to rotation at high speed within a confining wall,- causing said materials to pass under the resultant centrifugal force at high velocity over the edge of said wall, spreading said materials to form a thin film, impacting said film upon a wall rotating with said materials, spreading said materials in a thin film on said last named wall, dispersing said materials over the edge of said last named wall, and recombining said materials.

6. The method'of bringing materials into suspension or emulsion, which consists in feeding a mixture of said materials, subjecting said'mixture to rotation at high speed upon a rapidly rotating wall, thereby spread ing said materials into a thin film upon said wall, forcing said rapidly rotating film over the edge of said wall, collecting said ma terials, and again feeding said materials.

7. The method of bringing materials into suspension or emulsion, which consists in spreading said materials into a thin film moving at high velocity on a rapidly moving surface, dispersing said film from the limits of said surface, and collecting the dispersed materials.

8. The method of bringing materials into suspension or emulsion, which consists in subjecting said materials to rotation at high speed Within a confining wall, causing said materials to pass under the resultant centrifugal force over the edge of said wall, spreading said materials to'form a thin film upon a rapidly rotating surface, impacting said film upon a wall rotating with said materials, subjecting said materials to rotation at high speed upon said rotating wall, causing said materials to pass over the edge thereof at high velocity and collecting said materials.

9. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions comprising bowl structure, and

- means for rotating the same, said bowl structure comprising a flat circular bottom wall and a cylindrical side wall extending perpendicular from the edge of said bottom wall, an orifice in the center of said bottom. wall,

- vanes in said bowl structure extending radially from said orifice to said side wall, and

means for feeding material through said orifice on to said bottom wall.

wall, means forrotating said bowl structure,

and meansfor feeding material on to said flange.

11. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions comprising a receptacle, a tubu lar casing within said receptacle, bowl structure adapted to be rotated within said receptacle, said bowl structure comprising a tubular bowl member having an opening at the bottom, a ledge surrounding said opening, and an annular bowl member communicating with the upper end of said tubular bowl member, said annular bowl member comprising a bottom wall and a side wall. said side wall having a free upper edge.

12. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions comprising a receptacle for the materials to be emulsified, and means operating within said receptacle for emulsifying material therein.

13. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions comprising a receptacle, annular bowl structure rotatable in said receptacle and situated above the normal liquid working level in said receptacle, tubular bowl structure communicating with said annular bowl structure and rotating therewith, said tubular bowl structure extending down- 4 bowl structure comprising a side wall having a free upper edge, a circular orifice in the other end of said bowl structure, means for rotating said bowl structure, and a ipe of less diameter than said orifice exten ing through said orifice into said bowl structure and adapted to feed material thereto.

15. In apparatus for producing suspensions .or emulsions, bowl structure comprising a bottom wall, an upwardly extending peripheral wall, and'a cover adjustably and yieldingly held above the free edge of said peripheral wall;

16. In apparatus for producing suspen sions or emulsions, b'owl structure comprising a tubular bowl member, an annular bowl member surrounding an end of said tubular ledge surrounding said opening, an annular bowl member closed at one end surrounding the top of said tubular bowl member, and orifices in said tubular bowl member adjacent the closed end of said annular bowl member.

' 18. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions, comprising a receptacle, tubular bowl structure rotatable within said receptacle, a tubular casing within said receptacle surrounding said bowl structure, a closure in the lower end of said casing, and a conduit extending through said closure and upwardly into said bowl structure.

19. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions comprising a receptacle, a tubular casing extending upwardly from the bottom ofsaid receptacle, a vertically extending conduit within said casing and communicating with said receptacle, bowl structure adapted to be suspended within said casing, an opening in said bowl structure receiving said condui, and a space between the bottom of said casing and the bottom of said bowl structure and between the edge of said opening and-the wall of said conduit allowing communication between said casing and said bowl structure through said opening.

20. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions comprising annular bowl structure, said bowl structure consisting of a circular bottom wall, a circular peripheral wall perpendicular to said bottom wall, and means for feeding material on to said bottom wall near its center.

21. Apparatus for producing suspensions or emulsions comprising a receptacle, a tubular casing within said receptacle, bowl structure adapted to be rotated within said casing comprising a tubular bowl member open at the bottom adapted to be received within said tubular casing, an annular bowl member communicating with the upper end of said tubular bowl member, and means for feeding material from said receptacle into the open bottom of said tubular bowl member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 17th day of March,

COLLEN E. NORCROSS. 

